1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for mediating between questioners and answerers in a consultancy service using mobile phones.
2. Description of Related Art
In the conventional art, printed matter, in the form of, for example, information exchange magazines, is used to mediate between questioners, who are persons who have questions, and answerers, who are persons who can provide answers to questions. In a case where, for example, an information exchange magazine is used as a medium by questioners and answerers, answerers provide to publishers of information exchange magazines information on a knowledge area (field) about which they can act as answerers, such as a sport(s), skiing, golf, and so on; city area information, such as Daikanyama, Ginza, and so on. They also provide with their knowledge area (field) information, contact information to be used by questioners to reach answerers, and which may be in the form of addresses, facsimile numbers, telephone numbers, names, and so on. All of this information is published by the publishers to which it is provided in information exchange magazines. Questioners who buy the information exchange magazines, select answerers who offer information under fields relevant to their questions by referring to information provided in the magazines; and contact selected answerers by mail, facsimile, telephone, and so on. In this way, questioners and the answerers are able to communicate with one another.
However, communication mediated through printed matter is subject to a number of problems. Firstly, the process of purchase of printed matter followed by manual selection of answerers referring to information in printed matter is both time-consuming and complicated. Further, in the case that, for example, a questioner has an urgent question, for example, in a case that s/he wishes to know a location of a nearby restaurant when already outside, it may not be physically possible for the questioner to purchase suitable printed matter; or, having purchased printed matter, a questioner may not be able to find any relevant information on answerers in time.
Further, due to the nature of printed matter, after answerers provide their information, namely, information on a field about which they can provide answers, along with information for reaching them, to a publisher of printed matter, it may take a relatively long period of time for the printed matter to be published. Moreover, there is a risk that personal information such as addresses, which answerers must make public in printed matter as contact information for questioners, may be misused. Consequently, persons may be dissuaded from publishing contact information in information exchange magazines, even though they may have the knowledge and experience to provide a service as an answerer.